THE COLONIALS AND THE NAVY.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 24 July 1901, Page 4

THE COLONIALS AND THE NAVY.

The ‘ Daily Express ’ has once more raised the old question whether the colonies should not be called upon to pay a proper proportion of the cost of keeping up the Navy i J The writer of the article says that “so hard hit arc the Government on the subject of finance that an overhaul has been made of every item which might be made to relieve the national expenditure. It is an open secret that one such item is the contribution of the colonies to the cost of the Navy. At present the levy is unequal, and the Government intend to see if the protection afforded cannot be met upon a proper business footing. It is computed that live or six millions ought to be contributed annually by the colonies, instead of the disproportionate sums now received. It is thought that the increased revenue cant be justly asked for without deducting further from the supremo control of the Navy exercised by the Mother Country, as the cvics would merely make a balance equitable with current services. Thoroisa question of foreign policy involved, as increased contributions would bring a demand jor a colonial vote, or at least voice, in Foreign Office subjects. It is not im- [ probable that such a difficulty wili bo met ; by such an establishment of an Imperial Council, hiavng the accredited colonial representatives as co-members with the Imperial authorities. • The moral obligation of the colonies to pay an increased tax is not questioned- Canada and Newfoundland are not contributors under the existing scheme, and Natal (saved by the Naval Brigade) is free for a contribution of 12,000 tons of coal annually. ” The “ Express ” then gives a list of the naval expenditure of New South Wales. Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Queensland, and the Cape of Good Hope, and their revenues. Prom this it appears that out of an aggregate revenue of thirty-eight millions or thereabouts these colonies spend about £220,000 on naval matters. The United Kingdom, with a revenue of £120,000,000, spends £26,000,000 on the Navy. Apparently the ‘'Express” thinks llut the colonies ought to contribute to the upkeep of the Navy on the basis of revenue, in which case, if we include Canada, Newfoundland, Natal, and other outlaying possessions (excluding India), wo in the Old Country would get relief to the extent of about seven millions per annum on a naval expenditure of £26,000,000. Wo can do with it; but are you prepared to shoulder your “moral obligations’’ on the revenue and any other basis ? The revenue basis, of course, would be grossly unfair, for out of the millions spent on the Navy a vast preponderance is spent in the United Kingdom; and, moreover, almost the whole of the interest of our National Debt comes back into our pockets. Our debt is internal, yours external. Accepting the principle of a really Imperial Navy and the obligations it entails in the colonies in regard to financial support, it seems to me that it will require a clever statesman to envolvo a truly equitable basis for each colony’s contribution